Thursday, June 23, 2016

The Olympic Trials are such an exciting time! It’s electric!
And everyone is straddling that line of excited/nervous (if they haven’t gone
right past that line and straight into “Nervous Only!” that is).

You should probably be a fan of everyone at the Olympic
Trials because we all busted our ass and have thought about this particular
weekend for the past 4 or so years. But, if you need help figuring out whom to
root a little extra for, here is my PHOEBE-IS-A-FAN-OF-THESE-400m AND UP-RUNNERS-SO-YOU-SHOULD-BE-TOO
LIST.

Fran off the track loves dancing, joking, laughing, and
entertaining. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her not smiling.It’s contagious.

On the track she is not afraid to hurt. She always goes to
the well—you can tell by her post race interviews. Most runners try hard to keep
it together and mask the lactic acid under a fake smile while giving some “I
felt really great today” generic statement—not Fran. Fran is breathing heavy
while speaking her mind in an honest, refreshing way. She’s the woman you want
anchoring your 4x4 because you know she will give it her all plus however much
else is needed to get the win.

There is only one thing Kori is better at than the 400mH.
Hugging. This lady is a hugger. Every time I see her, we just hug for a few
minutes and then talk—usually about her baby dog, or her BFF Ajee Wilson—and
then we hug some more. I want her to win just so I can give her a celebratory
hug afterward.

Molly is a soccer player turned top-in-the-world runner. She
runs because she loves it. Because something would be missing in her life if
she didn’t have some competitive outlet. In the same way that kids find joy in
playing tag, Molly finds joy in competing. Plus she has gotten 4th
way to many damn times, so she has paid her dues.

Ajee is the real deal. She’s young, fierce, poised, and has
a deadly kick. She skipped the collegiate ranks and went straight from high
school to pro. And she might be the best pro. When I grow up, I want to be a
runner like Ajee.

Plus! When she’s off the track, she doesn’t think about
track. One time, I was roommates with Ajee and we couldn’t stop laughing. She
said, “I train with 13 year old boys, so that explains my sense of humor.
What’s your excuse?” And that’s how I knew we’d be friends.

Mary was THE high school phenom. She turned professional,
and has struggled during the process. I don’t think people realize how much
this young woman has been through. She’s endured a lot of changes and struggles
and expectations that most people will never begin to comprehend. She hasn’t
quite figured out that she is lucky to have these experiences—only truly great
people get the privilege of these types of struggles.

Despite all that, she still is running respectable times and
has a smile on her face while doing it. She is a once in a lifetime talent, and
it is just a matter of time before she gets back on top—could the Olympic
Trials be the start of some upward momentum?! I hope so!

I am lucky to train with Katie. Imagine the energy of a
Skittles commercial packed into a cute and ferociously fit body. She is just a
bottle of emotions—and you can see these emotions when she races. She wants it.
She would run through a brick wall to win. Plus she’s good hearted and
genuinely wants everyone to do well.

Emily is working on her Snap Chat Lip Sync Career while
winning medals on the track in her spare time. Maybe they are related? Maybe
she gets warmed up to run by belting out those favorite 90s hits?

Emily has been through it, she’s run great, she’s run bad,
she’s been injured, she’s been the fittest she’s ever been. And she brings it
at the Championship races. She’s got a great perspective on everything and
might be the nicest human alive.

Emma is like a Navy SEAL trapped in a bombshell bod. When
she steps on the track it is all business. She knows her splits, hits her
splits, and then runs people down the last 400m. She always executes. You can
see it in her eyes.

I wish Kara would write a book because she has had a heck of
a running/life story. She started with Alberto Salazar and won a world medal
while working with him. She left him—which is much harder than people give her
credit for; became a mother-- which is much harder than people give her credit
for; struggled to piece together a good marathon-- which is much harder than
people give her credit for; accused her ex coach of doping violations-- which
is much harder than people give her credit for; and now after all that has made
her way back to the top. It’s like we all got to watch her grow into herself.
She now is stronger and will stand up for what she believes in. It’s cool.

Johnny and I bonded because we have similar stories. Johnny
was the bomb in college, but then has not lived up to expectations in the
professional ranks. He went from being too serious about running, to
questioning the purpose, to deciding he was going to not just make the Olympic
Team, but win a medal for our Olympic Team. And I believe him. He has gone
through the growing pains and now is running very well.

Plus! Both of us are kids at heart. In Jamaica after the
meet, we gathered everyone to hang out in the pool. He said, “Let’s have a
relay race!” and I said, “Yes! I have been training for this moment. And we are
going to be good friends.”

HOLY SMOKES THIS KID IS GOOD. He is a 19 year old stud that
is a potential favorite for the Olympic Trials. But there are so many wild
cards! Can he handle the pressure? Can he handle rounds? Is that 1:43 he just
ran replicable, or was it a perfect race? (For the record, I think he can handle the pressure, can handle the rounds, and can run 1:43 again in the near future).

His confidence should be through the roof, and it’s fun to
watch youngsters figure out how much talent they have.

Kyle has been hurt this season, but even hurt he is fun to
be a fan of. He’s like that slightly awkward, yet hilarious, TV character
everyone loves—like a more intelligent Cramer. His twitter is entertaining, his
blog is insightful, and he would be voted “Most Popular” if the Track and Field
community were high school.

Leo is fun to be a fan of because you have no clue how he is
going to run most of the time—the exception is the trials. He could get DFL in
a low-key race one week, and then he’d be Olympic Champion the next. He is a
game day racer—he needs the pressure of a Championship to perform. I respect
that. I think he not only will win the trails, but I think he will win the
Olympics.

Everyone has a crush on Garrett. He’s nice, well-rounded,
blue collar, and works really F’in hard. He’s the mayor of track, if track were
to have a mayor. He knows everyone. If for some reason we had to live off the land in backwoods Minnesota, he'd be the guy you'd want in your squad . He’s taken some serious scalps in cross-country,
so the crappier the weather, the more I’m banking on Garrett to take the win.

Ben is such a mystery. He trains solo in the mountains. He
cross-country skis in the winter for cross training. He wins 5ks. I often wonder to
myself, “what’s he even doing up there?!” He’s an aerobic monster and his speed
is good considering he run 3:36 recently at the Adidas Boost Games.

Things I appreciate about Ryan: his talent, his speed, his
work ethic, his kick, his ability to win, and his quick one-liners. I wish
someone would mic Ryan up so we could all be privy to his jokes he murmurs
under his breath.

He’s probably our best chance to medal at the 5k, but he is
coming off a poor showing at the Prefontaine Classic—which I’m assuming was
poor because he was training right through it. His eyes are on the Olympic
prize.

Evan would be Mr. America of Track. He has flowing locks,
and a light-on-his feet bouncy smooth stride. He really should be a Pantene Pro V spokes person.

He’s got some big goals, even though he rarely admits to
them in interviews—he’s modest even though he is the class of the field. I
appreciate that.I think this is the year he breaks 8 minutes in the steeple
and the year he nabs a medal at the Olympics.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

HEY YOU!
Do you frequently stand in front of your closet shirtless and think, "man, it would be really cool if I had a decent shirt. A shirt that is more than just a regular old shirt--A shirt that stood for something, a shirt that helped fund a possible future olympian's dream, a shirt that shows my fan support for professional runner, Phe."
I too sometimes think that.
And now you, YES YOU, can own a Stop Phe Phe Shirt.

The shirt will not only allow you to quit walking around naked, but it will also personally warm my heart to know that there are literally dozens of you out there willing to support my goal of being an Olympian.

Seriously, you get a cool shirt and the satisfaction of knowing you made my day, and I get a little bit of funding for travel to the Olympic Trials.